The United Kingdom has a new charity that promotes literacy through the medium of comics, Comics Literacy Awareness, and it has named its first ever comics laureate: Watchmen artist and The Originals creator Dave Gibbons.

The charity named Gibbons to the position at this year's Lakes International Comic Art Festival in Kendal, England. In his position as laureate, Gibbons will go on school visits, help with training events for school staff, and participate in education conferences.

In a statement, Gibbons said: “I intend to do all that I can to promote the acceptance of comics in schools. It’s vitally important not only for the pupils but for the industry too."

According to the CLAw website, the laureate's job is to "act as an ambassador for comics and their potential to improve literacy." The charity will name a new laureate every two years. Gibbons' tenure begins in February.

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